The present disclosure is directed toward a large volume meat roaster with skeleton support for use with a variety of different spit baskets and intended to be covered by sheet, or foil-type, metal covering for roasting.
in roasting large volumes of meat, for example a pig, a spit is generally used which may be rotated by hand or by means of a rotisserie motor. A wide variety of makeshift outdoor ovens have been utilized and primarily they involve improvised rudimentary spit basket structures. For example, chicken wire has been used to encase a whole pig around a metal spit rod for securing it during roasting. Some sophisticated spit structures have been developed, particularly in the last 30 years, for electric indoor/outdoor rotisserie devices for small food items. One effective free standing outdoor meat roaster, with a novel spit basket, is disclosed in my co-pending U. S. patent application Ser. No. 357,330. My co-pending application discloses a meat roaster having a firebox and domed lid for roasting large items.
It has been found that consumers desire yet another type of roasting device which allows them to use a variety of spit baskets, from the sophisticated to the homemade, and which further permits the use of a simple foil covering for enclosing the structure. Present free standing devices are relatively large and have not been capable of easy disassembly, although they may be lightweight and portable. The ability to disassemble a roaster for storage and transport to another site is also a desired feature. A free standing roaster, such as disclosed in co-pending application, includes a permanent covering, namely heat resistant sheet metal, for the firebox and domed lid. While it may be easily lifted it is not capable of storage in small quarters.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a meat roaster with skeleton support whereby a wide variety of spit baskets may be rotationally supported therein.
In addition to the foregoing goal, it is an object of the invention to provide a skeleton support which is adaptable for enclosure with lightweight sheet metal or foil material after assembly, which combines with the skeleton to form a roaster in which large food items may be accommodated on a spit supported therein.
It is further an object of the invention to provide a food roaster with skeleton support that has easily disengaged mechanical fastening to render it portable and capable of being stored in a small space, for example in the trunk of a car before and after use.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a meat roaster with skeleton support wherein an upper frame is supported by, but not mechanically fastened to, an intermediate frame of the the skeleton in order to permit access to the food while it is roasting. This feature allows the cook to perform seasoning, basting and other culinary operations.
The invention satisfies these needs and may be summarized as providing a skeleton support for a meat roaster having generally rectangular lower frame means capable of holding charcoal baskets and supporting the skeleton on a planar surface. An intermediate frame means is fastened at cornerposts thereof to, and extending upwardly from, the lower frame means. The intermediate frame means has opposing end plate members which include bearing seats for rotationally supporting a spit basket and means for adjusting the height of the spit relative to the charcoal. The intermediate frame means further comprises support means for a rotisserie motor. The upper frame means includes opposing hoop-shaped tubular members supported therebetween by a longitudinal member. The hoop-shaped members are slide engageable with upright pins located on the cornerposts of the intermediate frame means to permit the removal of the upper frame means, which is particularly useful during roasting. The upper frame means, when covered with sheet metal or metal foil, forms a dome-like upper ceiling to the roaster. The intermediate frame means may be similarly covered to form a four- wall firebox below the dome-shaped ceiling. This arrangement causes rising heat to circulate around the spit and back downwardly to evenly heat the item to be cooked.
The lower and upper frame means are fastened together at said cornerposts with removable mechanical fasteners. Furthermore, the members forming the lower, intermediate and upper frame means are assembled with removable mechanical fasteners facilitating complete disassembly for storage.